Mechanicsburg, PA (October 5th) – The Metropolis Collective is pleased to announce the opening reception for “Wee Gee”a solo exhibition of new works by NYC East Village art icon Rick Prol at Trash Art Gallery from 6-10pm on Friday, November 2nd, 2012.

The title of the show, “Weegee”, is inspired by Arthur Fellig, who during the 1930s and ‘40s worked as a photographer and photojournalist in the Lower East Side of New York City. He was known for his black

and white street photography, which depicted scenes of urban life, crime, injury and death. This is a most poetic title for Prol’s body of work because of the similarity in topic and like Weegee, Prol is also a legend who creates something unsettling yet beautiful.

In this exhibition, through Prol’s Brut Expressionism, the world is depicted in a gothic cartoonish form, dark yet vibrant. Through the use of a variety of media he portrays post-apocalyptic images inspired from current events such as the Occupy Wall Street movement and the world’s financial crisis. Matthew Rose of Artblog.org writes Prol’s show “Weegee imbues New York’s landscape with his iconic cartoon expressionism, and a world of hot paint featuring cat-like losers with broken bottles, knives and nails in their necks and heads. Here his characters attempting to cross New York City on a broken down bicycle sink into a nuclear slime; buses fly through a blood red post-apocalyptic sky, soldiers advance legless, bodies pile up along brick walls, and cars are stacked on top of each other, rusting into eternity. There’s no hope in this Weegee World, but the brutality of living grinds on. And there’s a beauty to it all.”

About the Artist

Rick Prol is an East Village art icon born and raised in New York City where he currently resides and works. Prol graduated from Cooper Union in 1980 and began showing his work publicly in 1982. Prol quickly rose to become a seminal figure in the explosion of the prominent East Village art scene of the 80’s alongside such contemporaries as Basquiat, Haring, and Koons. Eleanor Heartney of Art In America says “Rick Prol was one of the icons of that era, known for his cartoonish tableaux of mayhem, murder and suicide set in a rat-infested fantasy world somewhere east of first avenue.”

Art Brut and “Cartoon Expressionism” are the languages he chooses to use to convey his organic, personal experiences about life. He dabbles in a variety of media including – installations, paintings, sculpture, drawings and writing. He utilizes a language that is accessible and direct, but also filled with sly and knowing art historical references. He pulls from the urban realities of city life; brutality, authoritarian relationships, decay and destruction in the world around him. Prol writes “My work is a form of self portraiture and is a kind of prophesy-voodoo, it is strongly influenced by my surroundings but only as a starting off point. My intent is for a universal message.” Prol was recently showcased in an exhibit at the prestigious Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, New York featuring a retrospective of his life’s work. Prol continues as an artist, a living legend, garnishing critical acclaim for his artwork. Prol’s show will be on exhibition at Metropolis Collective through December 1st, 2012.

“Those who are not familiar will be exposed to some of the most energetic, wrenching and raucous artwork they are likely to ever see. - Art Slant New York, D. Dominick Lombardi

“There’s no hope in this Wee Gee world, but the brutality of living grinds on. And there’s a beauty to it all.” - TheArtBlog.org, Matthew Rose

Also this evening at Metropolis Collective is the “Scaredy Cat” campaign, a fundraising benefit for the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area. Metropolis Collective will be accepting monetary donations with all proceeds to benefit the general pet population at the society in Harrisburg during their neediest point in the year, as well as donating a portion of art sales to the organization. To top off the evening of good will towards our furry friends, see the “Cool Cat” exhibit in the collective’s Hole In The Wall Art Gallery, which will feature the creations of artists residing both near and far depicting their artistic interpretations of some cool cats. The exhibitions and fundraiser will run through December 1st.

About Metropolis Collective

Metropolis Collective is a contemporary eclectic fine art gallery and performance spacerun by a husband and wife team made up of Richard Reilly and Danielle Charette. Reilly is a former NYC native with 20 years of experience working with the prestigious Adelson Gallery, and professional Rock musician and founder of the seminal first wave NYC punk rock band The Victims amongst others. Charette is a Harrisburg native who resided in NYC for most of her life prior to returning to the area. She is an emerging contemporary expressionist artist who actively exhibits nationwide.

Metropolis Collective is home to the Trash Art Gallery, the Hole In The Wall Art Gallery and The Stage Noir. The collectiveexhibits an eclectic variety of contemporary fine art (photography, paintings, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, installations and drawings) as well as hosting musical and artistic performances. The gallery represents the talents of many artists locally residing and non-native, emerging and internationally established. Based in Mechanicsburg Pa, Trash Art Gallery is located at 17 West Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Gallery hours are [Tues-Thurs 12-7, Fri-Sat 12-8pm and by appointment]. For more information, please call: (717) 458-8245, or visit our website: http://metropoliscollective.com/, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MetropolisCollectiveor email: info@metropoliscollective.com